Pecan Tassies
intro
Bite-sized Southern American treats with a tender cream cheese crust and sweet, nutty pecan filling, a beloved holiday cookie platter staple.
Ingredients
Steps
Mix crust dough
In a large mixing bowl, beat 8oz softened cream cheese and ½ cup softened unsalted butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until completely smooth with no lumps. Reduce mixer speed to low, gradually add 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, and mix until just combined into a soft, uniform dough, taking care not to overmix (overmixing creates tough crust). Divide the dough into 24 equal 1-tablespoon portions, rolling each into a smooth ball.
Chill dough portions
Loosely cover the plate of dough balls with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. Chilling prevents the crust from shrinking during baking and firms the dough enough to press easily into muffin tins; do not skip this step, as warm dough will spread excessively in the oven.
Press crusts into tins
While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Once chilled, place one dough ball into each cup of a 24-cup non-stick mini muffin tin. Use your thumb and index finger to press the dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides of each cup, forming a 1/8-inch thick pastry shell that sits flush with the top edge of each tin cup.
Prepare pecan filling
In a medium glass mixing bowl, whisk together ¾ cup packed light brown sugar, 1 lightly beaten room-temperature egg, 2 tbsp melted and slightly cooled butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and ¼ tsp fine salt until completely smooth with no undissolved sugar lumps. Stir in 1 ¼ cups of the finely chopped pecans, reserving ¼ cup of pecans for topping, and mix until all nuts are evenly coated in the sugar mixture.
Fill pastry shells
Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon of the pecan filling into each prepared pastry shell, taking care not to fill past ¾ of the shell’s height (filling will bubble over and stick to the tin if overfilled). Sprinkle a pinch of the reserved chopped pecans over the top of each filled tassie for extra crunch and visual appeal.
Bake until set
Place the mini muffin tin on the middle rack of the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, until crust edges are deep golden brown and the filling is fully set (it will not jiggle when the tin is gently shaken). Rotate the tin 180 degrees halfway through the bake time to ensure even browning across all tassies.
Cool and serve treats
Once baked, transfer the muffin tin to a wire rack and let tassies cool completely in the tin for 25 minutes; this allows the filling to firm up so tassies hold their shape when removed. Run a small offset spatula or paring knife around the edge of each tassie to gently lift them out of the tin, then serve or store in an airtight container.
Tips
2.Avoid overfilling pastry shells; the sugary pecan filling bubbles vigorously as it bakes and will glue tassies to the tin if it spills over the crust edges.
3.Cooled tassies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months for easy make-ahead holiday prep.
OMG these pecan tassies are SO good! I made them for my kid’s soccer team potluck last weekend and every single one was gone before I even got a second one. The buttery crust melts in your mouth, and the pecan filling is the perfect amount of sweet, not cloying at all. Super easy too, I was worried they’d be fussy like mini pies but nope, even my 10 year old helped press the crusts into the mini muffin tin!
I don’t bake a ton, usually I’m manning the smoker, but I made these for our family Thanksgiving dinner and even my super picky father in law asked for seconds. The recipe was straightforward, no weird ingredients, cook time was exactly what was listed. Total game changer for holiday baking, I’ll be making these every year from now on.
I’ve tried three different pecan tassie recipes over the years and this one is by far the best. The crust is actually buttery, not dry and crumbly like the last recipe I used, and the filling doesn’t bubble over and make a mess of your muffin tin if you don’t overfill them. 10/10, will be my go-to from now on.
Perfect for meal prep for school snacks! I made a batch on Sunday, popped them in an airtight container, and they lasted all week for the kids’ lunch boxes. My youngest said they taste like "tiny fancy pecan pies" and asked if we can make them for his class holiday party. Only note: I used a little less vanilla because I ran out, and they still turned out great!
I was nervous the cook time listed was too long, but 1 hour 30 minutes total was spot on for me, including chilling the dough for 20 minutes like the instructions say. I swapped half the pecans for walnuts because that’s what I had in the pantry, and they were still delicious. Can’t wait to make the original version for my Christmas cookie swap next month.
These are the perfect size for when you want something sweet but don’t want to eat a whole slice of pecan pie. I had one with my afternoon coffee every day this week, and it made my work days so much better. The recipe is easy enough that even a beginner baker like me didn’t mess them up, no fancy equipment needed.
I’ve been making pecan tassies for 40 years, and I have to say this recipe is even better than my old handwritten one I got from my mom! The cream cheese in the crust is the secret, it makes it so tender and flaky, I can’t believe I never thought to add that before. My whole family raved about them at our Sunday dinner.
Made these for a post-hike snack meetup with my trail group, and they were the perfect portable treat. No messy frosting, no crumbs everywhere, just sweet, nutty, buttery goodness. I added a tiny dash of cinnamon to the filling because I love cinnamon with pecans, and it was chef’s kiss. Will definitely be making these for future trips.
I brought these to my office holiday party last night and three different people stopped by my desk today to ask for the recipe. I was worried they’d be too sweet for my coworkers who are into low-sugar stuff, but the sweetness is perfectly balanced, not overwhelming. Even the guy who says he "doesn’t like dessert" ate two!
Great easy recipe, perfect for when our grandkids come to visit. I don’t have the patience for super complicated baking projects anymore, and these came together so quickly. The only thing I did different was toast the pecans first before chopping them, it brings out so much more nutty flavor. Highly recommend that little extra step!
I was worried I wouldn’t be able to make these for my gluten free sister, but I swapped the all purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free baking blend and they turned out absolutely perfect! No weird texture, no gritty aftertaste, she said they were the best gluten free treat she’s had all holiday season. So happy this recipe is so adaptable!
Full transparency, I burned the first batch because I got distracted wrapping presents and forgot they were in the oven, but I made a second batch exactly as the recipe says and they turned out incredible. Don’t be like me, set a timer! These are so worth the effort, even if you mess up the first go around. My family ate the slightly crispy edges of the burned batch anyway, they were that good.